THE NEW FOSTERING NATIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS:
WHAT’S NEW? WHAT’S CHANGED?
Standard 1 The child’s wishes and feelings and the views of those significant to
them
Throughout the 2011 standards, a heightened priority is given to listening to and
involving children, symbolised by placing participation and consultation in the
opening standard.
Standard 2 Promoting a positive identity, potential and valuing diversity through
individualised care
The greater emphasis upon participation in standard 1 is combined in this
standard with normalising the experience of being fostered. Linked to
developing their resilience, children are encouraged to exercise personal choice
within reasonable limits established by the responsible parenting of the foster
carer. Implicit in this standard are greater and clearer levels of delegation of
day-to-day decision making to the foster carer.
Standard 3 Promoting positive behaviour and relationships
In this standard fostering is liked to good parenting, supported by an expectation
of training for foster carers on behavioural management, additional support when
coping with particularly challenging behaviour and full information about the
child. Behaviour management is placed in the context of developing positive
relationships.
Standard 4 Safeguarding children
The importance of the relationship between the foster carer and the child in
standard 3 is also found in this standard. Children are not seen as passive in
relation to safeguarding, and again there is reference to normalising the
experience of fostering, with children encouraged to take appropriate risks. The
fostering service is expected to work collaboratively with other agencies.
Standard 5 Missing from care
Although nearly all of this material is new in terms of the standards, reflecting the
substantial statutory guidance¹ on this topic issued since 2002, much of it may
be familiar to fostering services through local protocols.
Standard 6 Promoting good health and wellbeing
Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health in this
standard, supported by foster carers who understand which decisions lie within
their discretion and who are encouraged to advocate on their behalf.
Standard 7 Leisure activities
The development of the foster child’s resilience underpins this standard, with
children being encouraged to develop interests and maintain friendships. The
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recurring theme in the standards regarding the delegation of day-to-day decision
making to foster carers is particularly strong here, with two references to
discretion regarding overnight stays.
Standard 8 Promoting educational attainment
The definition of education is extended in this standard beyond schooling to
include the provision of a learning environment, with a greater emphasis upon
the role of the foster carer. The implication of the standard is that the foster
carer should advocate and participate in the child’s education just as a parent
should, although the ‘responsible parent’ phrase is not used here.
Standard 9 Promoting and supporting contact
In an attempt to address the well-evidenced tendency for contact to diminish the
longer a child is in care, this standard establishes additional and urgent scrutiny
whenever contact is unexpectedly reduced. As in other standards, greater clarity
is demanded regarding the delegation of decision making to the foster carer’s
direct role in supervising and recording the impact of contact on the child seems
lessened.
Standard 10 Providing a suitable physical environment for the foster child
Much of this 2011 standard is similar in content, though re-ordered, to the 2002
version. There is greater specification regarding room sharing along with an
emphasis upon the homeliness of the environment.
Standard 11 Preparation for a placement
This standard reflects the concern that children often describe feeling passive
and ill-informed when moving from placement to placement in the care system,
with changes being made too abruptly. The standard seeks to emphasise good
quality and detailed information for the child prior to placement, and open
communication once there.
Standard 12 Promoting independence and moves to adulthood and leaving care
This standard emphasises the practical skills foster children need to acquire if
they are to make a successful transition to adulthood. The active role foster
carers should take in relation to preparing the foster child is also evident here.
Standard 13 Recruiting and assessing foster carers who can meet the needs of
looked after children.
This standard emphasises the need for transparent and purposeful recruitment
and assessment processes for prospective processes for prospective foster
carers. The preparatory aspect of the assessment process is highlighted in this
standard.
Standard 14 Fostering panels and the fostering service’s decision-maker
Although the regulations regarding the establishment and operation of the
fostering panel are less prescriptive than before, the standards are far more
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prescriptive regarding timescales at each stage of the panel and decision making
processes
Standard 15 Matching the child with a placement that meets their assessed needs
There are no longer any references to “race and culture” in relation to matching
within this standard. The emphasis upon seeking full information about the child
is even more closely linked to supporting the role of the foster carer than before.
Standard 16 Statement of purpose and children’s guide
This standard moves away from detailed prescription regarding content to an
expectation that these two core documents are sufficiently accessible to convey
what the fostering service aims to achieve.
Standard 17 Fitness to provide or manage the administration of a fostering
service
This standard contains important changes to the timing and level of the
management qualifications required.
Standard 18 Financial viability and changes affecting business continuity
The desire to provide security and stability for children is evident in this
standard’s commitment to ‘early warning systems’ for any financial difficulties.
Standard 19 Suitability to work with children
This standard sets out in detail the checks required of staff and panel members.
Although some elements remain from the 2002 standards – such as the
telephone confirmation of references – other expectations in terms of required
checks are more detailed than before. Given anticipated changes to vetting and
barring arrangements we can expect some further amendments to this standard.
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More description regarding the components of a whistle-blowing policy (19.6),
including who needs to be aware of it, now extended to include volunteers and
panel members.
Standard 20 Learning and development of foster carers.
This standard takes account of the development of the Training, Support and
Development Standards for Foster Care. This standard promotes the principle
that all foster carers have ongoing learning and development needs that services
need to monitor and address.
Standard 21 Supervision and support of foster carers
This standard draws together a number of different standards in the 2002
version. Supervision is consistently linked in this standard to ensuring good
outcomes for foster children.
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Standard 22 Handling allegations and suspicions of harm
Reflecting Working Together (DCSF, 2010), nearly all of this standard is new.
An important new term, ‘concern’, is introduced, and greater transparency is
demanded in terms of process and payment. See also the statutory guidance
paragraphs 3.68 to 3.81.
Standard 23 Learning, development and qualifications of staff
This standard sets out greater expectations in terms of training, both for staff
members and panel members.
Standard 24 Staff support and supervision
This standard sets out more specific expectations in terms of supervision,
particularly in relation to supervision records. These responsibilities are now
extended to volunteers.
Standard 25 Managing effectively and efficiently and monitoring the service
This standard increases the level of monitoring required of the fostering service’s
executive and places a greater individual responsibility upon the service’s
manager. The standard concludes with specific measures to be taken to
address the communication needs of children.
Standard 26 Records
This standard sets out the policy and quality assurance expectations in relation
to records. The active promotion of records as a tool for enabling a child to
understand their past is emphasised in this standard. The transfer of records
when foster carers move between services is addressed in this standard.
Standard 27 Fitness of premises for use as fostering service
This standard addresses the increasingly common requirement across all
sectors to carry out contingency planning.
Standard 28 Payment to Carers
This standard sets out greater levels of consistency and transparency in the
payment of foster carers.
Standard 29 Notification of significant events
Although the notification requirements in the regulations are largely unchanged,
this standard places a new emphasis upon responding to mental health issues
for foster children.
Standard 30 Family and friends as foster carers
Much of this standard is new, reflecting the research and practice development
in this area of fostering since 2002 and taking account of the newly issues
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statutory guidance. There is an interesting caveat regarding independent
fostering providers at the end of the standard.
Standard 31 Placement Plan and Review
Nearly all of this standard is new, partly because it relates to the Care Planning
Regulations 2010. the key message of the standards is that the foster carer and
the foster child both need to understand and contribute towards the Placement
Plan, which is seen as the most important document for achieving clarity of
purpose for all parties.
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